Cabinet door construction



June 1967 R. T. CORNELIUS 3,327,427

CABINET DOOR CONSTRUCTION Filed April 26, 1965 INVENTOR. R/CHARD 7.' COR/VEL /US United States Patent 3,327,427 CABINET DOOR CONSTRUCTION Richard T. Cornelius, Minneapolis, Minn., assignor to The (Jornelius Company, Anoka, Minrn, a corporation of Minnesota Filed Apr. 26, 1965, Ser. No. 450,617 2 Claims. (Cl. 49486) This invention relates generally to the construction of a cabinet door, such as is employed with a heat-insulated cabinet, and more specifically, the invention relates to a combined breaker strip and gasket construction incorporated therein.

Although the principles of the present invention may be included in various cabinets, a particularly useful application is made in a refrigerated chest, particularly of the top-opening variety.

The present invention deals with a simplification of structural elements employed in the fabrication of such a door, such door typically including a pair of spaced sheet metal elements separated by thermal insulation, and a combined breaker strip and gasket.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a strip which both finishes the edges of a door element and which serves as a gasket.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a strip which serves to finish the edges of a plurality of door element and to provide a sealing gasket.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a strip which finishes the edges of a plurality of door elements, which seals thermal insulation in place between such door elements, and which further serves as a gasket.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide a simplified door construction employing a combined breaker strip and gasket.

Many other advantages, features and additional objects of the present invention will become manifest to those versed in the art upon making reference to the detailed description and to the accompanying sheet of drawings in which a preferred structural embodiment incorporating the principles of the present invention is shown by way of illustrative example.

On the drawing:

The single figure is a cross-sectional view, partially broken away, of a thermally insulated cabinet having a door or cover provided in accordance with the principles of the present invention.

As shown on the drawing:

The principles of this invention are particularly useful when embodied in a cabinet door such as illustrated in FIG. 1, generally indicated by the numeral 10. The cabinet door is further illustrated in combination with a heat-insulated cabinet generally indicated at 11. The cabinet 11 is illustrative of typical structure with which the present invention is usually associated.

The heat-insulated cabinet 11 includes a metal liner 12 surrounded by a spaced metal jacket 13. Within the space between the liner 12 and the jacket 13, there is provided suitable heat-insulation material 14. The upper end or edge of the liner 12 and the jacket 13: is closed or finished with a breaker strip 15 extending about the upper periphery of the liner 12 and jacket 13. The breaker strip 15 thus defines the upper end of an opening generally indicated at 16 and provides a substantially planar sealing surface 17. The cabinet 11 is here illustrated as being square or rectangular in horizontal cross-section, but as will be evident, the opening 16 could be of any configuration.

The cover 10 is joined to the cabinet 11 by a hinge structure generally indicated at 18 and not forming a part of the present invention. The hinge 18 includes a pin and slot connection 19 which enables slight vertical movement of the cover 10.

3,327,427 Patented June 27, 1967 The cover 10 includes a first door element 20, having a generally flat outer periphery 21, and a second door element 22 having a rectangular cup-shaped configuration so that it is provided with a generally annular perphcry 23. The door element 20 and 22 are spaced from each other, and the space therebetween is occupied by suitable heat-insulation material 24 which preferably comprises poured urethane which bonds itself to the adjacent surfaces of the door elements 20, 22, to hold the same in an assembled relation.

In accordance with the present invention, to serve several purposes, there is provided a combined gasket and breaker strip generally indicated at 25. The strip 25 includes a body 26 of elongated configuration which encircles the door elements 20, 22, and which therefore is referred to herein as being generally annular. The body 26 has means which here comprises a pair of confronting shoulders 27, 28 which jointly define a centrally opening slot in which the periphery 21 of the door element 20 is disposed. The body 26 further includes means comprising a pair of confronting shoulders 29, 30, which jointly define an axially opening slot in which the generally annular periphery of the door element 22 is disposed. An elongated generally annular fiexible gasket 31 has a marginal portion 32 which is integral with the body 26 at a point which is axially opposite to the slot-defining means 29, 30, and which is laterally remote from the slot-defining means 27, 28. The flexible gasket 31 gradually tapers or decreases in thickness from the point at which it is integral with the body 26 or first marginal portion to an opposite free marginal portion 33. As shown in the drawing, the gasket or gasket portion 3-1 is also of arcuate configuration in a cross-section taken transversely to its length. The combined breaker strip and gasket 25 preferably comprises plastic, and more specifically comprises vinyl plastic.

The combined strip 25 thus provides finishing structure for the edges of the door elements 20, 22, it encloses the insulation 24, and it provides a flexible gasket between the door or cover 10 and the cabinet 11. The weight of the cover 10 serves to deflect the resilient gasket portion 31, and the pin and slot connection 19 of the hinge 18 enables the door 10 to rest via the gasket portion 31 on the surface 17. As the heat-insulation material 24 is poured, through an access opening not illustrated, the

strip 25 further serves to hold such insulation material Within the cavity defined by the door elements 20 and 22 during the manufacture thereof.

The disclosed and claimed structure thus represents a cost-saving advance in the art by simplification in the manufacture of the cabinet door or cover.

Although various minor modifications might be suggested by those versed in the art, it should be understood that I wish to embody within the scope of the patent warranted hereon all such embodiments as reasonably and properly come within the scope of my contribution to the art.

I claim as my invention:

1. A door for closing an opening in a heat-insulated cabinet, comprising:

(a) a first door element having a generally flat periph- (b) a second door element having a central portion disposed in spaced relation to the plane of said fiat periphery and having a peripheral flange extending toward and perpendicularly to said flat periphery;

(c) a strip interposed between said door elements and having a body of generally L-shaped cross section, the legs of which have slots, one slot opening in wardly and the other slot opening in a direction perpendicular thereto, the inwardly opening slot receiv- 3 ,7 ing said flat periphery and said other slot receiving said peripheral flange; (d) a generally annular flexible gasket having a marginal portion integral with said body, said gasket being sealingly engageable with the cabinet around its opening; and (e) poured heat-insulation material having an in situ bond with the inner surfaces of said door elements, said heat insulating material being enclosed by said door elements and said body and comprising the sole' means holding said door elements and said strip in assembled relation. 2. A door according to claim 1 in which said marginal portion'of said gasket is integral with said body at a point which is entirely remote from the material which defines said one slot.

' References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS DAVID J. WILLIAMOWSKY, Primary Examiner. REINALDO P. MACHADO, KENNETH DOWNEY,

Examiners. 

1. A DOOR FOR CLOSING AN OPENING IN A HEAT-INSULATED CABINET COMPRISING: (A) A FIRST DOOR ELEMENT HAVING A GENERALLY FLAT PERIPHERY; (B) A SECOND DOOR ELEMENT HAVING A CENTRAL PORTION DISPOSED IN SPACED RELATION TO THE PLANE OF SAID FLAT PERIPHERY AND HAVING A PERIPHERAL FLANGE EXTENDING TOWARD AND PERPENDICULARLY TO SAID FLAT PERIPHERY; (C) A STRIP INTERPOSED BETWEEN SAID DOOR ELEMENTS AND HAVING A BODY OF GENERALLY L-SHAPED CROSS SECTION, THE LEGS OF WHICH HAVE SLOTS, ONE SLOT OPENING INWARDLY AND THE OTHER SLOT OPENING IN A DIRECTION PERPENDICULAR THERETO, THE INWARDLY OPENING SLOT RECEIVING SAID FLAT PERIPHERY AND SAID OTHER SLOT RECEIVING SAID PERIPHERAL FLANGE; (D) A GENERALLY ANNULAR FLEXIBLE GASKET HAVING A MARGINAL PORTION INTEGRAL WITH SAID BODY, SAID GASKET BEING SEALINGLY ENGAGEABLE WITH THE CABINET AROUND ITS OPENING; AND (E) POURED HEAT-INSULATION MATERIAL HAVING AN IN SITUBOND WITH THE INNER SURFACES OF SAID DOOR ELEMENTS, SAID HEAT INSULATING MATERIAL BEING ENCLOSED BY SAID DOOR ELEMENTS AND SAID BODY AND COMPRISING THE SOLE MEANS HOLDING SAID DOOR ELEMENTS AND SAID STRIP IN ASSEMBLED RELATION. 